The present invention generally relates to lighting fixtures, and more particularly relates to lensed fluorescent lighting fixtures having limited finger access for the removal of its fluorescent lamp or lamps. The invention finds particular application in situations where the lens element of the fixture and the fixture's fluorescent lamp are in close proximity to each other and where the lens is simply set into, but not physically retained in the fixture housing.
Lensed fluorescent lighting fixtures for task lighting have been designed to efficiently distribute task light to a task area from a very compact, shallow fixture that can be suitably mounted under a counter or other structure above a task area. Such fixtures, which can be adapted to confined spaces such as found in many office furniture systems or mounted to architectural or other furniture elements including mill work, have two particular disadvantages. First, due to the shallow housing, there is very little space between the housing walls and the lamps for finger access, making it very difficult to remove the lamps for maintenance and lamp replacement. Secondly, because the lens is simply inserted up into and operatively set on top of the bottom aperture of the task light housing, the lens can be dislodged from its proper position, and may even be dislodged entirely from the fixture when, for example, maintenance of cleaning persons work around the fixture. A relatively slight movement of the lens will have a detrimental effect on the fixture's designed photometric characteristics; total dislodgment will likely cause damage to the lens.
The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of such a lensed task light by providing a device that retains the lens element of the fixture and which, at the same time, can be used to remove the fixture's fluorescent lamp or lamps without the need for finger access into the lamp cavity of the housing. Using the device of the invention, the lens element of the lensed task light will be retained firmly in its proper position over the housing aperture while at the same time providing a facility for easy removal of the fixture lamps.